Improvement in htdbabts



@uiten ttttes atrnt @fitta BENJAMIN e. EULLER. or BALTiMoRE, MARYLAND.

Letters Patent No. 77,027, dated April 2l, 1868;

IMPROVEMENT 1N HYDRANTS.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONC/EBN:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN FULLER, of Baltimore, in'thc county of Baltimore, and State of Maryland, have invcntedcertain Anew and useful Improvements in Hydrants; and I hereby declare the following to be a` fullrclcar, and exact description of the same, reference being` had to the accompanying drawings.

One of the causes which most frequently induces the'bnrsting of waterpipcs used in connection with hydrants,

arises from the sudden checking of the stream of water ilowlngthrough the pipes and out of the hydrant. If, for instance, the hydrant-valve be suddenlycloscd, the stream of water will be 'suddenly cheeked by the closed valve, while its head or impetus remains for-the moment unabated. As the fwater. cannot move forward, its impetus will cause it to be forced against the sides of the pipe, and the pressure thus' induced will burst -the pipeif it be at all wealrlor imperfect.` 'i v To remedy this dilculty, the lower lor induction-end of thehydrant has/'been surrounded Vby a cylinder or chamber, the air within which constitutes an elastic and compressible cushion, upon which the impetus or head ofY water is expended when the-hydrant-valve is closed, so-as to effect the gradual checking of the stream without undue pressure upon the pipe.

Within this -chamber the'valvc and valve-mechanism for regulating the flow of water'are held, but ytheir u arrangement heretofore has been such, that, in event of the disarrangement or breaking ofany ofv the parts, it has -been impossible to get at them with facility, in order to repair or remove them, without iirst digging up .the air-cylinder or box by which theyare surrounded, and this operation, owing to the depth at which the cylinder is placed in the earth, is necessarily troublesome and laborious. My invention is intended to obviate this evil, and to this end 4it consists'in the special arrangement and construction of the valve, valve-mechanism, and

surrounding airwylinder, in the manner hereinafter described, so that the said valve and mechanism may be easily and readily removed, when desired, from the cylinder, without moving or disturbing the latter.

To enable those skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I'will now proceed to describe the v manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect, by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-f- Figure 1 is a vertical central section through the'lower or induction-end of a hydrant, constructed in accordance with my invention. l

Figures 2, 3, amd 4, are plan views of detached parts of the same.

Figure 5 is a vertical central section through the upper part of the hydrant, which, being oi' ordinary com struction, need not be particularly referred to. 'Y f The lower part of the hydrant, as shown in iig. l, consists of the `air-cylinder A, connected by a screwL joint with the upper or piston-cylinder e, communication between the two chambers takingplace. through the tube 1. This tube is screwed into the neck of the upper cylinder e, and extends down to near 'the bottom of the chamber The upper end of' the tube which lies wit-hin the cylinder e, is shaped so as to have the form of a six-sided nut, as shown plainly in tig. 2 of thc drawings. The tube is closed at its lower end by a valve, a, which bears against a s'eat, I), on the under side of the end of the same. 'A valve-stem, @surrounded by 'a spiral spring, d, extends up through the tube l, and its upper end is attached to a perforated cap, 3, which is of the diameter ofthe neck ofthe tube. This cap is press-ed upon by but not att-ached to a larger piston or valve, which ts tightly in the 'upper chamber or cylinder c of the hydrant, and is united with the rod 3V, which `is operated by the crank B in the upper part of the hydrant. -The cylinder e is screwed upon the upper end of the tube 1, as shown in fig. 1, so as to form a perfectly tight joint, andis providedrwith the eduction-pipef, which communicates with the hydrant-spout C, fig. 5. Upon the lower end of the tubel is screwed a perforated cap or strainer, 2, which surrounds the valve a.

When thcv valve a is depressed by means of the rod 3 and handle B, so as to open the lower end of the tube 1, the water entering the perforated cap 2, through the orifice. l in the cylinder A, will dow upward through the tube, and out from the upper perforated cap 3, which in this case willbe depressed, so as to t in and close the neck of the tube 1'. As the cylinder or chamber e is tightly'closed by the piston, thc watc'r will pass up through the pipe j', and out through the nozzle or spout C.

When it is desired to shut o the water, the hand of the operator is removed from the crank B, whereul on fthe spring d instantly draws up tue valve a against its seat, and prevents the further ow of the water. /Ys

soon as this takes place, the impetus of the water will be expended upon the air cushion in the upper part of cylinder A, which cushion will be gradually compressed until it is of suiieient density to check the forward tendency or movement ofthe water, and the latter will thus gradually and slowly lose ts impetus without causing any appreciable strain to be broughtrupon the induction-pipe.

That portion of the hydrant shown in g. 1, is set in the ground just below the pointw'here the earth ceases I to be frozen. When the stream of water is shut o, therefore, such water as remains in the eduction-pil-effalls back into the open tube 1, and the lower part of the cylinder or chamber e, and is thus prevented from being frozen in the upper and exposed portion of the pipe f.

If at any time the valve and valve-mechanism should get out of' order, the construction and arrangement of tlie parts admit of their being readily detached and lifted out from 'the hydrant. `The pin by which the pistonrod 3 is connected with the crank Bis first removed, andthe piston-rod and its piston, (which, as before mentioned, is unattached to the valve-rod 0,) are'drawn out from the liv'drant. This operation uncovers the top of the tube 1, and by using a wrench of suitable shape rto t the nut upon the upper end of said tube, thel tube may be unscrewed and detached from the cylinder c, and withdrawn, together Vwith the valve and valveappurtenances from thechamber A. This latterY operation may be effected by means of a hook, which should be caught under the flange of the cap 3. I am thus enabled, without lrouble or delay, to remove and replace that portion of the mechanism of a hydrant which is ordinarily most 'ditlcult of access, at the same time -that it is most liable to become damaged or to get out of order.

Having now described my invention, and the manner in which the same is or maybe carried into effect, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i The combination, with the air-chamber and the piston-cylinder of the hydrant, of the valve and hereindescribed valve-mechanism, operated by but not attached to the pistonhcad, and held within a tube or case, constructed and connected with the said air and piston-c\lindcrs or chambers, in the manner and for the 'pun poses shown and specified. i

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name te this specification before two subscribing witnesses.

B. G. FULLER.

Witnesses:

A. Penton, W. B. BURKE. 

